Aboriginal people have served in every conflict and peace keeping mission involving Australia for more than a century. For many years the service and sacrifice of Aboriginal service men and women had not been adequately recognised and commemorated.
In 2006, the late Aunty Dorothy ‘Dot’ Peters AM (1930–2019) sought to change this and initiated the honouring of Aboriginal service men and women in Victoria. In 2007, the first Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Service was held at the Shrine of Remembrance.
In the spirit of Aboriginal self-determination, the Victorian Government is working alongside the Victorian Aboriginal Remembrance Committee to deliver the Service. The Service gives Victorians an opportunity to come together to honour and recognise the sacrifices and invaluable contributions of Aboriginal service men and women to Australia’s Defence Force.